Ex-Strictly musical director Laurie Holloway dies aged 86

Laurie Holloway, the former musical director of BBC entertainment shows such as Parkinson and Strictly Come Dancing, has died aged 86.

The pianist and composer was well known to a generation of TV viewers, and also worked with singers such as Petula Clark, Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdinck.

Holloway died "after a short illness", Mike Parkinson, the son of Sir Michael Parkinson, confirmed to BBC News.

Holloway composed TV theme tunes for programmes including Blind Date, Beadle's About, Game for a Laugh, Wicked Women and Maggie and Her.

Born in Oldham in 1938, Holloway began learning piano at a young age and became an organist and choirmaster at his local church aged 12.

He went on to play at ballroom dances and on cruise ships. He also worked as a studio session musician and played with the Cyril Stapleton band.

His credits include Clark's hit Downtown, released in 1964. He worked with Humperdinck in the early 1970s, playing on his albums and joining him on a tour of the US.

He also worked with Cleo Laine, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr, violinist Stephane Grappelli, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the John Dankworth Band, before he increasingly began to work on television shows.

He began working alongside chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson in 1998, staying with the show for the following decade, including after its move to ITV in 2004.

The two men were close friends and Holloway wrote a tribute to Sir Michael for UK Jazz News following his death in 2023. The two men lived close to each other in Bray, Berkshire.

Also in 2004, Holloway acted as the musical director for the first series of Strictly Come Dancing. He provided several musical arrangements every week and continued working on the show for the following two series.

It set the tone for the live music on the hugely popular dancing competition which has remained on air for two decades.

He was made an MBE in 2013 for services to music. Holloway was married to jazz singer Marian Montgomery until her death in 2002. He is survived by two daughters and three grandchildren.